AWARDS & RECOGNITION
RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP & CREATIVE WORKS
Annual Research Lecture
The Annual Research Lecture has been presented at UNM since 1954 and is one of the highest honors the University bestows on its faculty member in recognition of research/creative activity. The nominated faculty member must be an active, full-time Professor or exceptional Associate Professor at the time the nomination is submitted with a record similar to that of applicants for Distinguished Professor (see the List of Honor below for past winners).
The research or creative works of the nominee must be of the highest quality with an outstanding cumulative record of achievement nationally and internationally (unless another domain is more relevant). The nominee will also be evaluated on the body of work that has been completed while at UNM, including mentoring. This often requires ten or more years at UNM to be competitive.
View Call for Nominations
Submit ARL Nominations
For Questions about this Award please contact:
Tito Busani
Chair, Research Policy Committee
busanit@unm.edu
Gena Garcia
Administrative Coordinator
Ofc of the University Secretary
emajsmom@unm.edu
Community-Engaged Scholarship Lecture Award
The Annual Community-Engaged Scholarship Lecture Award recognizes exceptional scholarly work that embodies UNM's commitment to community engagement and profoundly and systematically affects the relationship between the university and the larger community in a positive and meaningful way. This is the highest award for community-engaged scholarship bestowed by the University of New Mexico.
The nominee must be an active, full Professor or exceptional Associate Professor at the time of the nomination is submitted. The scholarship or the creative work of the nominee must be of the highest quality and should be tied to the faculty member's expertise.
For Questions about this Award please contact:
Tito Busani
Chair, Research Policy Committee
busanit@unm.edu
Gena Garcia
Administrative Coordinator
Ofc of the University Secretary
emajsmom@unm.edu
Faculty Mentored Research Award (FMRA)
The UNM Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) and the Undergraduate Research, Arts and Design Network (URAD) present the Faculty-Mentored Research Award. This joint award is given annually to an outstanding undergraduate researcher and their faculty research mentor based upon the demonstration of a strong research partnership.
In addition to quality of research and research outcomes, this award recognizes successes in developing a collaborative relationship and prioritizes aspects of the research process that contribute to professional growth of the student. As part of UNM’s WeR1 initiative, this award develops UNM’s tenet “Research Is Education” by promoting a culture of diverse research participation, advancing UNM students into successful futures, and increasing capacity for research to impact society.
Nominations for the 2023 award are now closed.
Faculty award recipients will receive a $2,500 prize to be awarded as an honorarium or a contribution to their research index. Student award recipients will receive a $1,500 cash prize. Both will be publicly recognized during the Research & Discovery Week in Fall 2023.
If you have any questions, please contact:
- Assistant Vice President for Research Melissa Emery Thompson at: memery@unm.edu
- URAD Director Tim Schroeder at timschroeder@unm.edu
Awardees
| Fiscal Year | Researcher(s) | Area of Study | |
|---|---|---|---|
2023 |
Yolanda Lin | Anistasia Baca | UNM Assistant Professor of Geography & Environmental Studies | Geography & Environmental Sciences Student | Full Press Release |
2022 |
Achraf Noureddine | Lien Tang | UNM Professor of Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering | Biochemistry BA/MD Student | Full Press Release |
Globally-Engaged Research Award
The Globally-Engaged Research Award is offered by the Global Education Office (GEO) and the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) at The University of New Mexico (UNM) to highlight the dynamic international research conducted by UNM faculty and students.
Bridging both national and institutional borders, internationally focused research enhances knowledge production by simultaneously broadening the investigative lens and generating a more nuanced analysis through the incorporation of global diversity. This award showcases existing activities and serves to elevate the visibility and caliber of future research by promoting the incorporation of cross-cultural perspectives and international relevance into the UNM research enterprise. The award emphasizes our commitment to robust, intentional, international partnerships in our research and classrooms to solve a wide range of global issues and prepare a new generation of scholars to work and live in an interconnected and rapidly evolving world.
Awardees
| Fiscal Year | Researcher | Area of Study |
|---|---|---|
2023 |
Alok Bohara | Professor of Economics |
2023 |
Beau Murphy | Ph.D. candidate, Anthropology |
2023 |
Esther Elia | MFA student, Fine Arts |
2023 |
Tara Falce | Undergraduate, International Studies |
| Fiscal Year | Researcher | Area of Study | |
|---|---|---|---|
2022 |
Tobias Fischer | Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences | Exhaling Earth: scientists closer to forecasting volcanic eruptions |
Outstanding Research Staff Awards
The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) seeks nominations for the Outstanding Research Staff Awards. OVPR recognizes that the expertise, dedication, and professionalism of our diverse research support staff contributes essentially to the success of UNM’s research mission. The Outstanding Research Staff Awards are a component of our holistic commitment to promote a dynamic research support system via enhanced employee wellness, job satisfaction, and career advancement.
Award eligibility is limited to research administrators and similar support staff, including employees of the OVPR, Office of Sponsored Projects, Contract and Grant Accounting, Faculty Research Development Office, Office of Research Integrity & Compliance, Category III Research Centers, and other main and branch campus staff whose primary function is supportive of UNM’s research mission. Research support staff at all levels, including students and part-time employees, are eligible. This does not include research assistants or technicians working on behalf of a single investigator. Staff who receive an award will be ineligible in the subsequent 2 years.
Nominations may be made by any UNM staff, faculty, or student, but self-nominations are not permitted. Individuals may submit multiple nominations, one per award category.
Award winners will be selected by the OVPR executive committee. Each winner will receive $1000 and will be recognized during the Research Administrator’s Symposium in October.
For questions, and if you have any problems submitting a nomination, contact Melissa Emery Thompson, Assistant VP for Research memery@unm.edu.
Awardees
| Fiscal Year | Staff Member | Award Category |
|---|---|---|
2023 |
Lucas Reynolds, Business Analyst | Outstanding new research staff member |
2023 |
Renee Brown, Information Manager | Exceptional support to researchers |
2023 |
Jill Okun, Sr Contract and Grants Administrator, Cradle to Career Policy Institute | Exceptional support to researchers |
2023 |
Linda Mayo, Executive Director of Research Integrity and Compliance | Exceptional research staff mentorship |
2023 |
Harpo Faust, Senior Collections Manager, Museum of SW Biology | Exceptional support of research training |
2023 |
Daron Vigil-Scott, Sponsored Projects Officer | Special achievement in research administration |
Ovation Awards
The Ovation Awards recognize full-time UNM faculty for recent accomplishments with unusually high impact, addressing local or global challenges and/or elevating the scholar's and UNM's reputation on a national/international stage. These may include a significant innovation, discovery, exhibit, or scholarly/creative work, or the establishment of a research resource or program. The award recognizes singular accomplishments rather than career achievement. We seek to recognize faculty at all career stages. Recipients receive a $1000 research allocation and recognition at an annual awards ceremony.
Do you know of a recent high profile research accomplishment by a UNM faculty member? Let us know! Email Asst. VP for Research Melissa Emery Thompson (memery@unm.edu) with a brief description of the achievement and its impact. In most cases, a link/attachment of a press release or similar article will be sufficient.
Awardees
| Fiscal Year | Researcher | Area of Study |
|---|---|---|
2023 |
Nicholas Ferenchak | Assistant Professor of Civil, Construction, Environmental Engineering |
2023 |
Kamila Venner | Associate Professor of of Psychology |
2023 |
Mubarak Hussain Syed | Assistant Professor of Biology |
2023 |
Felisa Smith | Distinguished Professor of Biology |
2023 |
Wendy Greyeyes | Associate Professor of Native American Studies |
2023 |
Tonmoy Chakraborty | Assistant Professor of Physics & Astronomy |
In 2023 the TEAM Ovation award was granted to the VolCAN project, which made history by flying a drone into an erupting volcano to sample gasses, work that will improve the ability to forecast eruptions. Team PIs are Melanie Moses (Professor of Computer Science), Matthew Fricke (Research Assistant Professor of Computer Science), Jared Saia (Professor of Computer Science), Tobias Fischer (Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences), Scott Nowicki (Research Associate Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences), and Rafael Fierro (Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering)
| Fiscal Year | Researcher | Area of Study |
|---|---|---|
2022 |
Subhankar Banerjee | Professor of Art History |
2022 |
Diana Dragomir | Assistant Professor of Physics & Astronomy |
2022 |
Professor Heather Edgar | Professor of Anthropology |
2022 |
Tiffany Florvil | Associate Professor of History |
2022 |
Marjori Krebs | Professor of Elementary Education |
2022 |
Christina Salas | Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering |
2022 |
Irene Salinas | Professor of Biology |
2022 |
Richard White | Professor of Music |